Spirituality and Spiritual Distress in Parkinson’s Disease Caregivers: A Scoping Review

Despite recognition that spiritual concerns contribute to caregiver burden, little is known about spirituality, spiritual well-being, and spiritual distress in Parkinson’s disease caregivers. In this scoping review of the literature through October 2022, we searched PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, and CINAHL. From an initial pool of 328 studies, 14 were included. Caregiver factors (e.g., depression, age) and patient factors (e.g., faith, motor function) affected caregiver spirituality and spiritual well-being. Caregivers experienced loss of meaning, existential guilt, and loneliness, and coped through acquiescence, cultural beliefs, prayer, and gratitude. Future research should focus on the specific spiritual needs of Parkinson’s disease caregivers and interventions to address them.